Insights
Field notes from the work.
Long-form thinking on AI strategy, the economics of innovation and the operating models that make frontier technology stick.
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AI Strategy
When AI Writes AI Policy: The Hallucinated Citations that Reset South Africa’s Draft National AI Policy
South Africa's Draft National AI Policy was withdrawn this weekend. Good. That is the process doing what it should. And it opens a comparison worth making, because the countries that have built cre…
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AI Strategy
Same Data, Different Value: What I Told Future CA(SA)'s about AI - P.S. No Slides, I Built an App
Last week I stood in front of a room full of PGDA students at the University of Limpopo. Future CA(SA)s. And I did not open a slide deck.
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Innovation Economics
The Economics of Innovation Part 4 (Final): The Technology CFO's Dashboard (The TL;DR of Key Metrics That Actually Matter)
After diving deep into how technology transforms each financial statement, here's your essential scorecard. These are the metrics that separate genuine digital transformation from expensive technol…
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Innovation Economics
EMEA Innovation Hub Summit in Brussels
There's a particular energy that fills a room when people from different continents realise, they're wrestling with the same fundamental challenge. Last week in Brussels, at the EMEA Innovation Hub…
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Innovation Economics
The Economics of Innovation Part 3: How Technology Supercharges Your Cash Flow Statement (The Ultimate Truth Test)
The cash flow statement is where technology's promises meet reality. You can massage earnings and revalue assets, but cash doesn't lie. This is where we see whether digital transformation actually…
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Innovation Economics
The Economics of Innovation Part 2: How Technology Reshapes Your Balance Sheet (The Asset Revolution)
Whilst the income statement shows technology's operational impact, the balance sheet reveals how AI and digital transformation fundamentally alters the capital structure and asset efficiency. This…
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Method
What's in a Name? The Importance of Naming Conventions as More Than Just a Label
Ever noticed how calling someone "hey you" instead of their actual name feels wrong? Or how calling someone using a name that is not theirs is embarrassing for everyone?
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Innovation Economics
The Economics of Innovation Part 1: How Technology Impacts Your Income Statement
The income statement is where technology's business impact becomes clear. Unlike balance sheet assets that might sit dormant or cash flows that can be temporarily manipulated, the P&L tells the bru…
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Reflection
Reflecting on Youth Day from Paris to Johannesburg
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of collaborating with brilliant technical architects from around the world at Microsoft's Innovation Hub in Paris. We spent intensive days refining AI transform…
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AI Strategy
Accelerating Agentic AI Adoption: Insights from Egypt's Financial and Telecom Leaders
Over the past week, I had the privilege of engaging with senior leadership teams at Banque Misr, Manour Auto, Mantrac, EFG, and Etisalat. What struck me most profoundly was not just their technical…
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AI Strategy
Navigating AI Transformation in Morocco: An Innovation Economist's Perspective
As an innovation economist specialising in technological diffusion across industries and markets I can say that I am witnessing Morocco's business landscape experiencing a profound technological aw…
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AI Strategy
Designing AI Centres of Excellence that actually deliver
A practical operating model for enterprise AI CoEs that move from pilot purgatory to durable, measurable value.
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FinOps
Building an IRR model for enterprise AI investments
A defensible business-case template for AI initiatives that survives CFO scrutiny and post-implementation review.
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Method
Revolutionising Operational Analysis: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Understanding Complex Business Systems
The challenge of analysing operational performance across large, complex organisations has always been daunting. Recently, I was the data and analytics lead of a pioneering project that combined Ar…
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Innovation Economics
Innovation economics: pricing the option value of frontier tech
Frontier technology bets behave like real options. Treating them like discounted cash flows under-prices them and starves the portfolio of upside.
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Economics
Navigating the Tide: Understanding South Africa's Recent Trade Dynamics
South Africa's trade landscape has experienced notable shifts as revealed in the latest report from Statistics South Africa. The unit value index (UVI) for exports and imports in October 2023 uncov…
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Innovation Economics
South Africa's Innovation Dilemma: Can It Catch Up with BRICS Counterparts?
South Africa, as one of the BRICS nations, is grappling with its National System of Innovation (NSI). While the country has made some progress, it lags behind its fellow BRICS countries in several…
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Economics
Analyzing South Africa's Retail Trade Sales: Insights from March 2023 Report
Understanding the performance of the retail trade industry is crucial for businesses and professionals seeking to navigate the market effectively. The latest findings from the March 2023 report on…
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Economics
Premature Deindustrialisation and Its Implications for Developing Economies: A South African Perspective
Research has highlighted concerns surrounding premature deindustrialisation, a phenomenon where developing economies experience a decline in their manufacturing sector at lower levels of income and…
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Innovation Economics
Navigating the Double-Edged Sword of Technological Advancements: Equipping the Workforce for the Future in South Africa and Developing Countries
In today's fast-paced world, the impact of technology on the workforce is a hot topic of discussion globally. Experts warn of substantial disruptions in labour markets, with South Africa and other…
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